Page 40 of Love Never Happens with your Brother’s Best Friend

“Sure. Why not?”

“Because we don’t have any fishing gear.”

“No worries. I saw a doco about tickling trout. You just need patience and a little luck. All you do is lie still on the riverbank and wait. When the fish comes close enough, you reach a hand under its tummy and tickle. Like this.” I encircle Rita in my arms and jiggle my fingers along her ribs. She shrieks and squirms and tries to get away.

“That is not how you catch trout.” Rita laughs. “They’re way too smart for that.”

“No. For real.” I hold her tight. “It was on TV.”

“It was on TV, so it must be true?”

“Yes. Exactly.” I kiss Rita one more time then I roll over to see where I threw my shirt.

“So, all those stories on TV about you being a heartbreaker.” Rita sits up and fixes me with one of her serious looks. “They’re true, are they?”

“Ha! I see what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing?”

“You’re trying to get a confession out of me.”

“Am I?” I can see that Rita is joking but she is also making a point. “I just thought I asked a question based on the theory that everything on TV is true.”

“Ah. No, then.” I put my arms around Rita and kiss her again. “Not everything you see on television is true. Some things are just made up or embellished for the sake of ratings or entertainment. I’m only a heartbreaker because of other people’s expectations. Rita. I like being out and, hey, I’m friendly, which could be misinterpreted as flirty, for sure. What am I going to do? Stay home? If a woman gives me her number and she’s upset because I don’t call, that’s not my fault. Really. Is it?”

“Okay. I see your point… Kind of,” says Rita still lying on her back, smiling.

“Kind of? You are hard work, woman. I don’t know what I have to do to prove my innocence.” I grab my shirt. “It is getting cold.” Sitting up, I pull it over my head. My shorts are almost dry.

“I have no idea what the time is.” Rita slowly stands up and walks to her backpack. “Dylan will start stressing if we don’t radio in soon.”

She unclips the front pocket and pulls out her hoodie. She puts it on, zips it up, then sits on her backpack. Her hair is loosely tousled around her face; her cheeks rosy from being outside. I stop to look at Rita: beautifully natural and naturally beautiful. She catches me watching and smiles, which turns into laughter as I rummage around in my pack. I can’t find my hoodie and end up emptying everything out onto the ground.

“Is your house like this?”

“Like what?” I locate my hoodie and pull it on.

“A big old mess.”

“No. It’s just, I can’t find anything in here.” I stuff the contents back inside the pack. “It’s easier just to throw it all out so I can see everything.”

Rita laughs at my uncontrolled messiness. Then, in an instant, her expression switches to serious and thoughtful.

“What?” I ask, giving Rita the opportunity to voice whatever is going through her head.

“I lied.”

“Lied? About what?” I finish stuffing things back inside my backpack and secure the clips.

“That kiss. Our first kiss. Here. When we were teenagers. That kiss… I said it didn’t mean anything. That we were just kids. And it was just a kiss.”

“Alright. So…”

“It wasn’t just a kiss,” Rita says slowly. Her expression intensifies.

“Are you going to explain?”

“Brodie. I know we were just kids, but when you kissed me… It meant something much more. To me. When you kissed me, I felt… It was magic. And it wasn’t just a kiss. It was something... bigger.” Rita struggles to find the words. “Like a special pact between us. And, for me, that pact, that kiss, was binding. I know this may sound dramatic or whatever, but I felt that we were meant to be together. That sort of thing.” She searches my face with her eyes. “Which is dumb, right?”

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